Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas believes Paraguay proved to be a tricky last-16 opponent for France, but the 2018 champions managed to progress to the next round with a second-half penalty from joint-World Cup top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe.
Jenas thinks Morocco, who have impressed in recent major tournaments, will face a tough challenge in the quarter-finals against France. He expects the French team to progress to the semi-finals, where they could potentially face Spain.
European champions Spain are set to face Belgium in their quarter-final tie on Friday. Jenas believes Luis de la Fuente's side will advance to the semi-finals, and ultimately win the World Cup.
When discussing France, Jenas acknowledged their fearsome abilities, stating, "France are scary, I know that. They're very scary." He noted that Spain are starting to click into gear and are better going forward than they are defensively, whereas France has a complete package and is fully in flow.
Jenas stated that he is sticking to his original prediction of Spain winning the World Cup, but conceded that he has enjoyed watching France play. England will face Norway in the third World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, while World Cup holders Argentina take on Switzerland.
Former France player Marcel Desailly, who helped his country win their first World Cup in 1998, believes a third title is on the horizon. When asked if he thinks France will win the World Cup, Desailly replied, "The impression that we have now, it's a big yes. Who is going to stop France?" He noted that France has been the standout team at the tournament so far, and has the potential to win the World Cup if they remain injury-free.
